Pages

Drug Testing at Work: What You Need to Know

Monday, April 16, 2018

The job hiring process in many types of organisations requires the applicant to go through a drug test, this is often for the safety of others. The drug test can be done either before making a job offer, or before the job offer is in the picture. At places where the state law allows, the employees get tested for drugs and alcohol in the workplace as well. Employers can check the presence of drugs and alcohol in your body through a variety of tests, such as urine drug tests, blood drug tests, breath alcohol tests, and more. If you're up for a job interview and are thinking that you might have to go through a drug and alcohol test, here are five things that you might be asking yourself.

Why does the Drug Testing Happen Before Employment?

A lot of companies do drug testing on prospective employees. Most of the time, the job is offered only if the applicant passes the drug test. Usually, the drug testing is either a result of company regulations or Federal laws. For example, the companies regulated by the US Department of transportation need to have drug testing. It is important to know that the drug testing is not at random and every applicant has to go through it if the job requires.

What are the Policies of the Company You’re Going for?

The companies where the state law permits to perform drug and alcohol testing on their employees, do it on a regular basis. The companies may also look into illegal drug use of an applicant before hiring them. Therefore, you must always look at the company's policies on alcohol and drug usage before you apply for a job.

What are the Regulations put Forward by the State and Federal law?

The federal and state governments put up several laws and regulations that allow companies to come up with their own policies regarding drug usage. This gives employers the freedom to fire employees involved in illegal drug usage, test the employees, and prohibit the use of alcohol as well. The federal and state governments also protect people who have substance abuse problems so that the employers do not discriminate against them.

Does Legal Marijuana also Count as Drug?

These days, many people use medical marijuana to deal with their health issues. Since the Federal government has still not legalized marijuana, the situation gets a little complicated. There are many states where the users of medical marijuana are protected, but several others were they aren't. This is due to the presence of regulations put forward by some of the state governments that protect the users of legal marijuana. You might have looked into a product to pass a drug test if you're worrying about this, but of course the best option is avoid it altogether- especially if you're unsure.

Types of Tests

There are many drug and alcohol tests that the job applicants and employees have to go through. The most common one is the blood drug test where the blood is drawn out of the participant, and it is checked for drugs like cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, and more. The other types of blood and alcohol tests include breath test, hair test.